Governor releases list of 400 who want DeKalb board seats. Several former state officials and top employees are on it
Take a look at the list of candidates for the six open seats on the DeKalb school board, which I have put in a Google doc. There are plenty of folks on it from across the political spectrum.
There are many parent activists and former school board candidates. Donna Edler’s name is on the list as well; she is a suspended board member. However, Edler told the AJC today that she did not submit her name but plans to seek reinstatement through the channels open to her. Since it was email submissions, I assume someone could fraudulently submit someone’s name.
Two people on the list worked closely with Sonny Perdue when he was governor, Joy Hawkins, his former policy analyst and deputy chief operating officer, and Kathleen Mathers who led the CRCT cheating probe as head of the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.
And there are other familiar names from state government, Melanie Stockwell, former director of legal services for DOE who later worked for state Sen. Eric Johnson, and ex DeKalb legislators Doug Teper and Dan Weber.
Also on the list are Emory’s Mark Bauerlin, author of “The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future,” parent Jennifer Hatfield, Denise McGill, a board candidate this past year for District 6, Ella Smith, also a former school board candidate, and activist parents Betsy Parks and Faye Andresen.
Cynthia Tucker of Stone Mountain– no relation to my former boss here at the AJC — is a former political candidate for the State House. Jonathan Weintraub is a former DeKalb county attorney.
Please note: The Sonny Jester on this list is no relation to Nancy. My colleagues who cover DeKalb point out that this Jester is a parent activist who has served on numerous panels and was vice chair of the DeKalb Education Foundation.
Let me keep looking at the list for other notable names. But keep in mind that there are folks who share names.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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140 comments Add your comment
Pardon My Blog
March 7th, 2013
3:02 pm
Several writing about the large number from the South DeKalb area. It was my understanding that one of the qualifications was that you had to reside in the district of the Board member that was removed. Was that incorrect?
Private Citizen
March 7th, 2013
3:03 pm
Centrist – Good practical computing / browser advice. Thanks! PS (not like anyone uses a browser around here) (looks both ways) (most people don’t even know what is an “application”)
Concernedmom30329
March 7th, 2013
3:06 pm
There could be 500 from one area, only one gets the seat. That is how it works…
d
March 7th, 2013
3:15 pm
I saw Kirk Nooks on the list – he ran against Jay in 2010. I thought he was the most qualified of any of the candidates for any seat that year.
Chamblee Dad
March 7th, 2013
3:24 pm
@Disgusted I’ve been asking that. Come on, out of 400 someone’s gotta be from here as a regular? Or maybe DSW or both? Willing to fess up or afraid they’ll vet you using the archives of this blog.
RexDogma
March 7th, 2013
3:27 pm
Betsy Parks, that would be an interesting choice. I believe her kid goes to St. Pius X.
Chamblee Dad
March 7th, 2013
3:32 pm
@ private citizen I’m going to have to install an auto-refresh app & set up 3 new tabs beyond what I normally use – one for the latest DCSS Get Schooled threads. Seriously, I’ve researched a couple of refresh apps. Will probably ask how I ever lived without it.
Decatur Dad
March 7th, 2013
3:33 pm
@Chamblee Dad – Do you sit around all day blowing out light bulbs?
Chamblee Dad
March 7th, 2013
3:34 pm
@RexDogma If correct she’d get along great with Michael Thurmond – Woodward is only place worthy of my kids True for any other private school applicants.
Maureen Downey
March 7th, 2013
3:36 pm
@Pardo, That is what the governor’s office told me two weeks ago.
Maureen
Chamblee Dad
March 7th, 2013
3:37 pm
@Decatur Wow you’re good. Just sitting here multitasking on a couple of computer screens, but do you know how to get white-out off my screens, I have a lot of typos.
DC Board Members SHOULD live in DeKalb County!
March 7th, 2013
3:39 pm
Does the DeKalb County Board of Education HAVE to live in DeKalb County? IT SURE SEEMS they SHOULD live in DeKalb County!! A few names on the list have a BLANK SPACE beside their name.
Loran, Whatayagot?
March 7th, 2013
3:44 pm
Unfortunately many more people than normal are soliciting the job because of Obama’s pitiful economy. They really need the $18,000 a year job. Sad commentary.
Jameson
March 7th, 2013
3:45 pm
Two activist parents, two retired teachers, and two local business leaders. Three should be African American, the other three should be white.
Diversity is essential.
Concernedmom30329
March 7th, 2013
3:47 pm
Mes Mom
We have Marshall and Jim, definitely have the parents covered. I would agree about teachers, but I am not sure employees can serve on BoEs of the system they are employed by? Seems to be ultimate conflict of interest, but I am not sure. Also Atlanta teachers who served on Clayton BOE led to demise of BOE there…
edbsmith
March 7th, 2013
3:53 pm
Bob Freeman of Dunwoody? Former superintendant or son????
Chamblee Dad
March 7th, 2013
3:54 pm
@concerned I assumed retired, no way current teachers or any employees could serve I believe.
kevin
March 7th, 2013
3:55 pm
This whole School Board issue is a complete mess. The new people when they are selected, a few months down the road, what……….they will be voted out by Deal too. So what is going on here and why look upon the schoolboard they they have been looked on. What goes around comes aroundd.
Maureen Downey
March 7th, 2013
4:01 pm
They will eliminate folks who don’t live in the affected districts. That is a basic requirement to be considered.
Dawgfan1995
March 7th, 2013
4:03 pm
@Maureen Isn’t Lynn Grant a former DCSD Board Member from about 6 or 7 years ago?
Atlanta Mom
March 7th, 2013
4:05 pm
Kevin asked my question. How long will these appointed member serve?
Educator for Life
March 7th, 2013
4:15 pm
I consider myself a regular and I applied. I really don’t think I have a reasonable chance, being I don”t have political experience. Hmmm, maybe that’s what’s needed.
DeKalb Inside Out
March 7th, 2013
4:36 pm
Jameson
said “Three should be African American, the other three should be white.”
Speaking for the Hispanics, Asians and Indians … “We are offended!”
How much will race be a qualification?
Chamblee Dad
March 7th, 2013
4:47 pm
@Educator Good for you! Retired educator I assume? But don’t want to assume anything.
Jill
March 7th, 2013
4:48 pm
Kate Butler is a teacher at Montgomery Elem and a parent. She’d be great.
Chamblee Dad
March 7th, 2013
4:50 pm
@DeKalb Don’t you know DeKalb County is all about Black & White. It’s not like Hispanics, Asians & Indians comprise much of the county population, especially school age. Oh . . wait . .
FM Fats
March 7th, 2013
4:54 pm
Doreen Carter is a former Lithonia City Councilperson. She ran for the Assembly last year and lost. Cheryl Mathis founded and ran the charter school Lithonia Academy of Technology and Environment until she was ousted under a bit of a cloud. The school moved to Stone Mountain as the DeKalb Academy for Technology and the Environment where Maury Wills is now headmaster. Belinda Pedroso headed up the Dekalb League of Women Voters a few years back.
Pardon My Blog
March 7th, 2013
4:55 pm
@DeKalb Inside Out – My thoughts exactly. I just hope that we can get a Board that will do the right thing!
Educator for Life
March 7th, 2013
5:00 pm
@Chamblee Dad, I’m still working in the educational arena. I wish I could retire at 43! LOL
no mas
March 7th, 2013
5:12 pm
Since both districts 8 (Speaks) and 9 (Walker) – the at-large districts,- are open, I think anyone living in DeKalb County would be eligible for one or the other.
CompetenceNotDiversity
March 7th, 2013
5:27 pm
@DIO 2:57 – Race is not a “qualification”.
@Jameson 3:45 – Not only is diversity non-essential, it is (or rather, should be) irrelevant.
Stop talking about skin color and start talking about what matters.
Betsy Parks
March 7th, 2013
5:34 pm
@Chamblee Dad Our oldest kid went to Lakeside all four years. He graduated in 2011. Our two younger children went to Hawthorne Elementary and then Henderson Middle.
After watching Crawford Lewis’ new principle/friend from his church destroy the Lakeside football program while BOE members were sneaking around stacking other high school teams our middle son decided to play for SPX instead of Henderson during his last year of Henderson Middle School. He took a good bit of harassment from everyone for his choice. He was one of the few public school kids to be accepted at SPX the following year. We are proud of our son and glad we ARE Golden Lions but that does not put us in the same category as Thurmond. We ARE part of DCSS community too.
We felt helpless at Lakeside. While at LHS, we went up the chain of command with our concerns and even filed an official complaint. Our concerns were ignored. Football was not the only issue we had as parents. Football was just the turning point for my son. This year my daughter followed after she was accepted too. Yes, she matriculated from Henderson Middle in DCSS.
We are a recently retired Army family and we be believe in public education. Tuition and fees are tough. We were not receiving the quality education we deserved despite our efforts. THEY had a way out. We took it. I started my petition because I did not feel “they” could hurt my children as they did after we filed complaints while enrolled in DCSS. I actually think I am in a good place to advocate for change. It is hard to do if you are worried about your kids. I am not afraid and care deeply about all the children in DeKalb. Most of DeKalb wants the focus to be on the kids and I feel confident the nominating committee and Governor Deal “get it” and will make the best choice.
The Deal
March 7th, 2013
5:37 pm
I want this board to be strong like the state board. I do not want this board to end up as a bunch of bickering parents who have no other qualification other than they are angry about the status of the school system. We need professional and qualified (yes, I know Gene Walker and Donna Edler look good on paper).
Ole Guy
March 7th, 2013
6:32 pm
Do any candidates possess educational credentials? Not being in the “political loop”, as it were, but judging, however, from the track records of previous boards, one must wonder just what APPLICABLE qualifications, if any, are required for these seats.
Not to be the harbinger of ill, one must wonder if ANY of these seats have EVER been occupied by anyone in possession of ANY credential remotely associated with educational thought.
Dunwoody PTA Mom
March 7th, 2013
6:47 pm
We want Nancy Jester back!
Educator for Life
March 7th, 2013
7:01 pm
@Maureen, all applicants just received an e-mail that requires us to fill out a questionnaire.
concernedmom30329
March 7th, 2013
7:09 pm
educator for life, any interesting questions and when is it due?
Another comment
March 7th, 2013
7:22 pm
It looks to me like Betsy Parks is a great candidate. She has been an Army Family, and has had the opportunity to see what education looks like around the country.
Private Citizen
March 7th, 2013
7:28 pm
Chamblee Dad, Good point about refresh app for browser. Never heard of that. My malady is sometimes have 20 tabs open from Wall St. Journal articles to news across the world to who knows what. I’ll do a push buttom forced re-start and restart browser keeping all the opened tabs. When I get busy and finally my brain goes blank like a screen, I’ll do the “Do you really want to close all the tabs” “Ugh… yeah” (stumbling away). I mean, how can you live without this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f0p4Qu2qxc Recently discovered the Porsche 917. circa 1968 0-60 in 2.3 seconds? 240 mph top speed with a flat opposing cylinder air cooled 12 cylinder engine, like an overgrown 911 engine with a fan on top instead of in the back, with the oil travelling inside the tubular steel frame to get the oil from the rear engine to the oil cooler. Kee-razy stuff. And don’t forget, Porsche bought the old Ford Taurus plant just north of the airport on I-75, to make a new test track and North American headquarters. 0-60 in 2.3s, in 1968? There’s nothing that will do that today.
Private Citizen
March 7th, 2013
7:30 pm
That friends and family thing is no joke. I sure hope they’re keeping an eye on it. It’s like termites, everybody’s in on it, unless you’re not and then you’re the odd one out. It’s really foul.
for the long haul
March 7th, 2013
7:30 pm
Is Stephen Bradshaw the same Steve Bradshaw who ran against Sharon Barnes Sutton this past July? If so, he’s an extremely sharp guy. I saw him speak at length and answer questions at a meet and greet near Avondale.
Maureen Downey
March 7th, 2013
7:48 pm
@Educator, Can you tell us about the questions?
Maureen
Educator for Life
March 7th, 2013
8:05 pm
Yes, the questions are common. there are 6 short answer questions, such as your vision of attaining high achieving students, what you think is the role of the board, the skills that you bring to the board, how will you inspire parents, and how will enhance the mix of skills and background fo the board to represent the community. They did ask if you were related to anyone in the district!
Maureen Downey
March 7th, 2013
8:08 pm
@Educator, Good luck. Sounds like they are asking good questions.
Maureen
Educator for Life
March 7th, 2013
8:12 pm
@Maureen, they were thoughtful questions. I can actually gather a lot from people’s responses to the questions. I hope they are looking for “real” answers, not ones from someone’s thesis. I just wonder if it matters that I am an administrator at a charter school. I don’t feel that it is a conflict of interest because I will be bringing my educational experience to the table, not any political agendas.
concernedmom30329
March 7th, 2013
8:19 pm
Educator for Life,
Deadline for questionairre? And also does it speak to expectations of board member’s availability. One of my neighbor’s put their name in the hat and they have a 8-5job with no flexibility. Not sure, given how often this board meets, that they could really do the job.
Educator for Life
March 7th, 2013
8:32 pm
Friday 5 pm
Concernedmom30329
March 7th, 2013
8:50 pm
Friday as in tomorrow? That is awesome if it is the case. Gotta get moving…
Educator for Life
March 7th, 2013
9:08 pm
Yes, tomorrow.
Chamblee Dad
March 7th, 2013
9:10 pm
@Educator thanks for info. It sounds like you’ve put alot of thought into what you can bring to the table. Charter = COI? Are you talking Charter in DCSS, Public Charter in another county or a start up Charter not part of a public system?